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Peavy seeks offensive support vs. Rockies

Aug 8, 2008 - 10:38 AM San Diego (44-71) at Colorado (52-65) 9:05 pm EDT

DENVER (Ticker) -- The San Diego Padres' lack of offensive firepower even has overcome the dominance of Jake Peavy. It doesn't figure to get any easier on Friday against one of the majors' top scoring teams at home.

Peavy hopes to get some help from the league's worst offense when the Padres face the Colorado Rockies.

After finishing in the middle of the pack in the majors last season with 741 runs, San Diego rode Peavy (8-7, 2.59 ERA) to within one game of the postseason, losing a play-in game to the Colorado Rockies one day after the end of the regular season.

This season has been nothing short of an offensive disaster, as the Padres have scored a league-low 432 runs. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner has not escaped the lack of offense, getting the sixth-lowest run support average among regular NL starters at 3.7.

His last outing was no different as he received zero support in a 2-0 setback on Saturday to San Francisco. The righthander allowed a run and five hits with seven strikeouts over seven frames and still wound up with the loss.

Peavy figures to get the best that Glendon Rusch (4-3, 5.47) has to offer when the lefthander takes on the team that released him after 12 relief appearances. Even more in his favor is a Colorado offense that has scored 317 runs at Coors Field in 2008, the second-best total in the NL.

Rusch, who has not suffered a loss since returning to the rotation on July 9, posted his second consecutive no-decision on Sunday against Florida after permitting two runs and six hits with a season-high eight strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings in a 3-2 victory.